This invention relates to a technology that applies very weak electrical stimulation to skin for the objective of the health, beauty and such of skin, and in particular, it relates to a cosmetic device that has specific alternating current wave forms that have a cosmetic effect and that conduct very weak electrical current that have such specific alternating current wave forms.
An electrical current that is called biological electrical current flows through live cells, tissues, bodies and such. Biological electrical current is involved in many instances of the human biological activities, such as cardiac and pulmonary functions, gastrointestinal peristaltic movements and the bending of the limbs. Biological electrical current occurs on account of the electric potential differences inside and outside the cells that constitute all the body tissues.
In human bodies, biological electrical currents are constantly flowing while delicate electrical balancing is constantly taking place from the dermal pars profunda to the surface of the skin as smooth metabolism is maintained and the functions of the skin are preserved. Biological electrical currents are influenced by factors, such as changes in the body""s condition and aging, but there are situations when it is weakened and when that happens, it is not possible to preserve the delicate electrical balance within the body. If such a state of imbalance continues, health problems and beauty problems result as the functions within the body deteriorate at a slow pace, the working of the cells weaken, aging of the muscles occurs, and such.
As a method for treating health problems, in the field of oriental medicine there is electrical treatment in which electrical stimulation is applied by conducting electrical current to one of the numerous acupuncture points along the meridians of the human body. In electrical therapy, the voltage used at the needle tip is 7 to 10 volts, which is considerably higher than that of biological electrical current. In conducting electricity, depth needles that are the same as those used in acupuncture therapy are used as probes to stimulate the acupuncture points.
However, in the above-described electrical therapy, because narrow needles are used as the probes, much time is required with a depth needle to probe in an acupuncture point. Also, because the area that is in actual contact with the needle point is very small, the possibility that the position at which stimulation is applied may be off the mark is high. Because of this, unless there is one who is experienced and knows enough about the acupuncture points and meridians, it is difficult to appropriately conduct such electric therapy.
Also, when examined in detail, it is seen that sufficient electrical stimulation cannot be applied to an acupuncture point. Furthermore, when a depth needle is inserted, unless it is inserted by someone like an experienced acupuncturist, there are cases where there is stabbing sensation pain.
To resolve these problematic points, a method entailing a device for the conduction of electricity that is comprised of a grounder connected to a circuit wherein the voltage can be changed and a glove that is connected to the above-described circuit for passing electricity and which has woven into it copper wiring that is in a thread-like form, with which the grounder is grasped with one hand and the other hand that is in an insulated state is clad in the glove with a finger of the gloved hand pressing against an acupuncture point has been laid open in Japanese Utility Model Sho. 53 (1978)-160289.
With this laid open method, an area of contact that is wider than that which is in contact with a narrow depth needle is achieved, and it is possible to cover an acupuncture area even if the center of the acupuncture point might be missed by a slight degree. Even with electricity that is conducted with pressure, it is possible to achieve a broad area to which electricity is conducted, and there is not the concern that had existed about stabbing pain. Furthermore, with five fingers, it is possible to press against the acupuncture points of five locations at once, thus making it possible to apply stimulation by conducting electricity to a plural number of locations at once.
However, the above-described method is one with which a direct current applied to the acupuncture points is of a higher voltage than that of biological electrical current and which completely differs from the stimulation when electricity is conducted at biological electrical current levels.
Also, from a cosmetic perspective, there are a number of methods for the stimulation of the skin of the face and such by conducting electricity that are similar in composition to the above-described electrical treatment device, but the high voltage of these lends them to being given broad berth as products. From this perspective, there are cosmetic devices that are out on the market that are characterized by stimulation by conducting by means of very weak electrical currents at a low voltage, but of these there are ones which are thought to be merely ones in which the strength of the electrical current has been lowered, and there are also cases in which it is not possible to confirm their cosmetic efficacy.
Now, this inventor, keeping in mind such prevailing circumstances, by researching in earnest into the interdependence of the electrical current wave forms and the cosmetic effects and such, has come up with the appropriate conditions that relate to conducting electricity, and this inventor considered that it was necessary to develop a cosmetic device with which it would be possible to achieve cosmetic effects when used.
The objective of this invention is to make appropriate, from the perspective of cosmetic effects, the voltage of the stimulation electrical current, electrical current wave form and such in cosmetic technology wherein the cosmetic effects are obtained by means of electrical stimulation.
The skin treatment, in which the cosmetic device in accordance with this invention is used, is performed by putting on both hands electrically conductive gloves with which good electrical conductivity is obtained by means of including electrically conductive material such as silver. The electrically conductive gloves are used by connecting them by means of a connection cord to an electrical stimulation control device that outputs alternating current wave form electrical currents that yield cosmetic effect. Furthermore, when putting on the electrically conductive gloves, although the voltage is low, these gloves can be put onto bare hands without damage, but what is more desirable is to put on the gloves with both hands placed in an insulated state by taking action such as putting on insulated gloves. By putting the electrically conductive gloves on to hands that have been insulated, it is possible to assure more effective electrical stimulation effects on the locations where the stimulation is conducted from the electrically conductive gloves.
The minute electrical current of the alternating current with which it is possible to obtain cosmetic effects on the wrinkles, sagging and such of skin is made possible by means of conducting electrical stimulation that is supplied from an electric current stimulation device to the above-described electrically conductive gloves. Such alternating currents should be composed of a plural number of alternating currents of square-waves that are serially combined alternating current square-waves of differing patterns.
For the stimulation that results from passing electricity, this invention does not pass electrical current of wave forms that can essentially be considered to be of a single wave form but rather, as described above, combines alternating current square-waves of differing patterns, and thereby improves the cosmetic effects. By means of this, the skin on the receptor side of the electrical stimulation does not become habituated to the same series of electrical stimulation, and the skin can sensitively respond to the electrical stimulation, and thus, the electrical stimulation is useful in providing an improving cosmetic effect on the skin.
As a result of performing experiments in which various alternating current square-wave were combined repetitively, it was determined that it is possible to obtain dramatic cosmetic effects such that the effects are visually ascertainable for specific alternating current wave forms.
Thus, from the experiments of this inventor it was learned that a plural number of varieties of alternating current wave forms from the repetitive combination of differing alternating current square-wave patterns types of wave forms, and the further repetitive combination of the alternating current wave form combinations is effective in cosmetic effect improvements such as on the wrinkles, sagging and such of the skin. For such cosmetic use alternating current wave forms, it was learned that the ones that possess the specific wave forms described below are even more effective.
For example, the alternating current wave forms are such that when the positive side electric potential level and the negative side electric potential level are indicated with the reference electric potential as the mid-point, the alternating current wave forms described above should be formed by the repetitive combination of one of the two electric potential levels and the indication of the other level, the electric potential levels indicated once in an alternating square-wave pattern as a single pattern for the time interval of the 1st reference time as a single pattern, and the repetition of the afore-described single pattern thrice as the triple repetitive pattern, and the indication of the afore-described reference electric potential for twice the time of the 1st reference time as the pause, in the sequence of: the afore-described triple repetitive pattern, the afore-described pause, the afore-described triple repetitive pattern, the afore-described pause, the afore-described single pattern, the afore-described pause, the afore-described single repetitive pattern, the afore-described pause, the afore-described single pattern, the afore-described pause, the afore-described single pattern and the afore-described pause.
As another way, there are repetitive combinations of alternating current square-waves of the indication of one of the two electric potential levels indicated for the time of the 2nd reference time and the indication of the electric potential level of the other for xc2xd of the time of the 2nd reference time as the 1st repetitive pattern and the alternating current square-waves of the indication of one of the afore-described electric potential levels for xc2xd of the time of the time of the afore-described 2nd reference time and the indication of the afore-described reference electric potential for xc2xd of the time of the time of the afore-described 2nd reference time and the indication of the other of the afore-described electric potential levels for xc2xd of the time of the afore-described reference time as an alternating current square-wave and the afore-described reference electric potential for xc2xd of the time of the time of the afore-described 2nd reference time as the pause, in the sequence of: the afore-described 1st repetitive pattern, the afore-described pause, the afore-described 2nd repetitive pattern, the afore-described pause, the afore-described 2nd repetitive pattern, the afore-described pause, the afore-described 2nd pattern and the afore-described pause.
Or another way would be repetitive patterns of alternating current square-waves of the indication of one of the levels of the electric potential levels for the time of the 3rd reference time and the indication of the other level of the fore-described electric potential levels for the time of the afore-described 3rd reference time and the indication of the other level of the afore-described electric potential levels for the time of the afore-described 3rd reference time and the indication of the other level of the afore-described the electric potential levels for the time of the afore-described 3rd reference time and the indication reference electric potential for twice the time of the afore-described 3rd reference time and the indication of the level of the afore-described one of the electric potential levels for xc2xc of the time of the afore-described 3rd reference time and indication of the afore-described reference electric potential for xc2xd of the time of the afore-described 3rd reference time and indication of the one of the levels of the afore-described electric potential levels for xc2xc of the time of the afore-described 3rd reference time and the indication of the levels of the afore-described reference electric potential for the time of the 3rd reference time and the indication of the other level of the afore-described the electric potential levels for xc2xc of the time of the afore-described 3rd reference time and the indication of the reference electric potential for xc2xd of the time of the afore-described 3rd reference time and the indication of the other level of the afore-described electric potential levels for xc2xc of the time of afore-described 3rd reference time and indication of the afore-described reference electric potential for the time of the afore-described 3rd reference time as the 3rd repetitive pattern of the alternating current square-wave, and the indication of the afore-described reference electric potential for the time of the afore-described 3rd reference time and the indication of the afore-described one of the levels of the electric potential levels for xc2xc of the time of the afore-described reference time and the indication of the reference electric potential for xc2xd of the time of the afore-described 3rd reference time and the indication of the afore-described other level of the electric potential levels for xc2xc of the time of the afore-described 3rd reference time as the repetitive pattern in one direction, and the indication of the reference electric potential for the time of the afore-described 3rd reference time and the indication of the afore-described other level of electric potential levels for xc2xc of the time of the afore-described 3rd reference time and the indication of the reference electric potential for xc2xd of the time of the afore-described 3rd reference time and the indication of the afore-described other level of electric potential levels for xc2xc of the time of the afore-described 3rd reference time as the repetitive pattern in the other direction and indication of the afore-described reference time for the time of the afore-described reference time as the pause, in the sequence of: the afore-described 3rd repetitive pattern, the afore-described 3rd repetitive pattern, the afore-described repetitive pattern in one direction, the afore-described repetitive pattern in the other direction, the afore-described pause, the afore-described repetitive pattern in one direction, the afore-described repetitive pattern in the other direction, the afore-described pause, the afore-described repetitive pattern in one direction, the afore-described repetitive pattern in the other direction, the afore-described pause, the afore-described repetitive pattern in one direction.
Furthermore, when the wave form composed of the repetition of each of the above-described three specific wave form types used by further repeating the combination, from a cosmetic effect perspective, the results were superior to those obtained when each of the specific wave forms was used singularly. Regarding the combination of these three specific wave form types, it was confirmed that effective cosmetic results can be obtained by setting the 2nd reference time to be quadruple the time of the afore-described 1st reference time and the afore-described 3rd reference time to be equal to the time of the afore-described 1st reference time.
Such a composition of the cosmetic use of alternating current wave forms of this invention is such that it is similar as possible to the biological electrical current that occurs in live human bodies, and the electrical current should be a very weak one so that the operator will not be exposed to any danger, as well as for the safety of the skin. For example, with the conductivity gloves that contain silver as conductive material, for areas wherein the skin is sensitive, such as the face, the voltage should be xc2x10.3 to xc2x11.2 V, and xc2x10.9 to xc2x13.5 V for areas where the surface skin is relatively thick, such as the body, and the electrical current stimulation should be applied under electrical conductivity conditions of 500 xcexcA or less.
The lower limits of xc2x10.3 V and xc2x10.9 V or greater were established because significant difference in cosmetic effect could not be observed at lower levels. Also, the upper limits of xc2x11.2 V and xc2x13.5 V or less were established because these are the values at which a user can use the invention without sensing strong electrical stimulation and with ample safety.
The composition of the cosmetic device that is in accordance with this invention is such that it can be used for daily skin care by the simple use of electrical stimulation that is based on the cosmetic use alternating current wave forms, the composition of which is described above. For example, both hands are well insulated by wearing insulated gloves and placed in electrically conductive gloves that have good conductivity because they contain silver or such as conductivity material. These electrically conductive gloves are electrically connected by means of a connection cord to an electrical current stimulation device that outputs very weak electrical currents in alternating current wave forms that have the cosmetic effect that has been explained in the above description.
When the switch for the electrical current control device is turned ON, the required electrical current is output to the side of the electrically conductive gloves, and in this state, the electrically conductive gloves are brought into contact with the skin of the face, scalp or such. By this, the electrical current described above passes to the skin, and treatment is applied as the electricity is conducted, with the objective of improving the wrinkling, sagging and such of the skin.